The number of people filing initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, the government reported Thursday, but jobless claims remain at very low levels consistent with steady job creation. The Labor Department said jobless claims rose 6,000 last week to 265,000. Claims have been below 300,000-a historically low level-for 55 consecutive weeks, the longest such stretch since 1973. The four-week moving average of jobless claims-a better gauge of labor-market trends because it smoothes weekly volatility-was virtually unchanged from a week ago near 260,000. The number of people receiving unemployment benefits fell to 2.18 million from 2.22 million the previous week, or 8.3 percent lower than a year ago. When businesses are cutting few workers, they are more likely to increase hiring. Employers added a strong 242,000 jobs in February, while the unemployment rate held steady at an 8-year low of 4.9 percent.